Worship on Sundays at 9:30 AM and then on Wednesdays during the seasons of Advent and Lent at 6:30 PM.
Worship Service at Trinity Lutheran Church is a place where we experience God with all our senses, and our spirits are fed and restored for the demands of living a faithful life in the world. Worship is where we are invited to receive and become the Body of Christ. Worship is an invitation, and we invite you to join in however you feel able. God loves you and wants you to be a part of a holy community like that of worship, however you feel invited to do so.
You are invited to worship with us just as you are.
When you join us for worship, we want you to feel comfortable. We worship by invitation, not requirement. You are invited to sing with us. You are invited to take communion. You are invited to participate in prayer and liturgy, but you get to decide what is comfortable for you. We want everyone to be a part of worship and our liturgical life at every age and stage.
We have coffee before and after worship and welcome you to pour yourself a cup and join us in conversation prior to worship in the narthex. Feeling a little less social, that’s okay too. You are welcome to take a seat in the sanctuary, we promise you’re not going to get in trouble for sitting in anyone’s pew.
What to Wear to Worship
At Trinity you will find folks in all kinds of clothes from dressy dresses like they wore years gone by, to people wearing shorts in the snow, and just about everything in between. The same is true of the people you will find retired doctors and elementary school kids, blue collar workers and artists all gathering to be the Body of Christ in worship service at Trinity.
Worship Bulletin and Other Materials
Upon entering the sanctuary, you will be offered a bulletin with most of what we say and do printed in it. We have regular-sized bulletins for most folks, but do not hesitate to ask for larger print if you would benefit from it. We also offer coloring pages, books, or other quiet activities to our younger worshipers and the young at heart. If you color a picture during worship, known in some circles as visual worship, and don’t want to take it home with you or don’t have someone special to share it with, you can give it to the Pastor at the end of the service, and it will be sent to one of our home members.
Standing and Sitting during Worship
During worship service at Trinity, you will notice that our pastor rarely says, “Please stand” or “Please sit.” Instead, she says, “Lift yourself to the Lord” and “Rest in God’s presence.” We know that we all have different abilities and are not all fed by the same actions. If lifting yourself to God means standing, that is great, but if lifting yourself means just sitting up a little taller, or letting your spirit float a little higher in your heart, that is just as meaningful.
Worship Music
Our music is a blend of mostly traditional hymn tunes with traditional and contemporary words and some more modern hymn tunes, with an occasional contemporary song tossed in when it fits the message of the worship. Paul is our lead musician. He uses a digital keyboard with organ and piano voices most of the time, but occasionally leads us from a piano in the front of the sanctuary. We have had trombones, choirs, and percussion instruments join in the celebration from time to time. Our worship is meant to be inclusive, and one way we live into that is through our music.
Liturgy
Lutherans are historically a liturgical church, which means we worship in a particular historic style called the Liturgy. Liturgy includes the parts of the worship that hold the structure of our pattern for worship. We change our liturgy seasonally to reflect the emotions and themes of the season. Overall, our liturgy reflects who we are as people: a mix of traditional and more modern styles blended together. Some seasons, the liturgy will be filled with shouts of joy, while in others, the music is more minor and the words invite introspection. Some seasons, we use a traditional old English translation of the Lord’s Prayer, while in others, we use a more contemporary version. Just like our lives are made up of things that have not changed in years and new things we are trying, our liturgy has a routine that lives in flux. You can find out more about Liturgy and Lutheran worship on the ELCA’s Worship Page.
Children in Worship
Children are a welcome and vital part of our worship service at Trinity Lutheran Church. It seems counterintuitive because most parents want to hide their kiddos in the back so they aren’t distracting to the adults worshiping, but we love to see children sitting in the front rows of our worship space where they can see and participate. After all, we are all children of God. One of the gifts of Lutheran liturgy is that we often do the same thing for several weeks, and even non-readers can pick up on the rhythm and flow of worship so they can respond to prayers, sing liturgical songs, and follow the wiggly rise and rest of worship postures. We also get the kids up and moving to help us ring the church bell during the Lord’s Prayer and collect coins during the noisy offering. Children are meant to be seen, heard, and loved as part of the Body of Christ.
Offering
As part of worship service at Trinity Lutheran Church, you will be invited to give an offering. We have two types of offerings we collect each week. The first is probably what you think of when you think of church offerings. In the metal plates that are passed through the rows, we collect our “tithes and offerings.” Tithes are gifts of such a size that we are proving to God just how abundant we think God’s amazing blessings are in our lives. Based on a story out of the book of Malachi, a tithe is usually thought of as being 10% and is a gift given to the church by members to help with its functions. Our tithes are gifts that keep the lights on and the pastor paid. Our offerings, on the other hand, are gifts made out of living into that abundance. Offerings are gifts we give as a sacrifice. Maybe you wanted a cup of coffee, but you skipped it and opted to give that $5 to help with the food pantry or a special ministry of the congregation. Offerings aren’t budgeted gifts but rather gifts of sacrifice and thanks given to God for ministry to our neighbor. The second type of offering is our “noisy offering.” The noisy offering is designated each week to support global ministry. This is a gift given to do God’s work around the world from the change we collect through living our lives. The kids love to collect this offering, with the sound of change clanking in joyful celebration as they carry buckets from person to person. Remember, our worship is an invitation. Just as we would never ask a new friend to bring something for dinner the first time they came over, we do not expect visitors to give tithes or offerings. As you come more often and become a member of the congregation, we invite you to extend your worship of God not just in prayer and praise but also in tithes and offerings.
Communion
We offer communion weekly as part of our worship, and we welcome you to the Lord’s Table with us. We know that communion is given to us by Jesus, as Jesus’s own body and blood, and is only possible because of Jesus. Therefore, we do not limit who comes to receive; we practice what many call “Open Communion.” Children are welcome at any age, with permission from their grown-up, and all visitors are welcome. We use gluten-free communion bread and wine or white grape juice. If for any reason you prefer to take just the bread or just the wine/juice, know that the grace you receive is the same as if you took both. We believe that in receiving Jesus’s body and blood, the bread and the wine, at communion we are promised forgiveness and acceptance, but communion is not the only place or way we can receive these gifts of grace.